Electricity Governance Initiative
A unique network of civil society organizations dedicated to promoting transparent, inclusive and accountable decision-making in the electricity sector.
Globally, more than 1.3 billion people still lack access to the electricity they need to raise their standard of living. As countries work to increase energy access and eliminate poverty, it is critical that the social, environmental, and economic importance of the electricity sector are considered. Decisions about how to generate, deliver and pay for electricity have a profound effect on people’s lives. Who gets electricity and at what price? What role should the private sector play in expanding generation and delivery? What is the right mix of technologies to meet growing demand for electricity, from conventional fuels to wind, solar and other renewables? How should the need for affordable energy be balanced against responses to climate change? Transparent and inclusive decision making processes are key in ensuring that electricity policies are aligned with public interest. By strengthening electricity governance, countries can develop more equitable and sustainable electricity policies.
What is the Electricity Governance Initiative?
The Electricity Governance Initiative (EGI) is a global network of civil society organizations dedicated to promoting transparent, inclusive, and accountable decision-making in the electricity sector. EGI facilitates collaboration of civil society, policymakers, regulators, and other electricity sector actors to ensure that sector decisions reflect public interest.
Energy Efficiency
In India, EGI is working to enhance transparency, accountability, participation and capacity (TAP-C) in Appliance Efficiency Standards and Labels (AES&L) programs by building the capacity of consumers and civil society and creating opportunities for civil society involvement. Improving civil society participation will lead to improved AES&L governance and ultimately result in increased public awareness and uptake of energy efficient appliances. Simultaneously, EGI is working with The Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy to identify and provide incentives to increase uptake of energy efficiently appliances.
Integrated Resource Planning
In India, EGI is using WRI’s 10 Questions to Ask About Integrated Resource Planning, to improve the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission’s (SPC) mid-tem appraisal of the current five year plan so as to make it more comprehensive and inclusive.
EGI partners in South Africa are using WRI’s 10 Questions to Ask About Integrated Resources Planning to gain a better understanding of South Africa’s Integrated Resource Plan and identify gaps in order to develop a shared, multi-stakeholder agenda for additional research.
Electricity Tariffs
EGI partners in India are working to strengthen the tariff process in Tamil Nadu by providing analysis and inputs based on an evaluation of past Annual Revenue Requirement: the annual added costs and recoverable profits of a utility, to Tamil Nadu’s generation and distribution utility using WRI’s 10 Questions to Ask about Electricity Tariffs and by sharing the analysis with the TEGI network and consumers in Tamil Nadu.
Renewable Energy
EGI Partners in Thailand are working to strengthen civil society and local community contributions to the Solar PV Roadmap Initiative and draft Renewable Energy Act.
Service Quality
EGI partners in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are working to implement and asses WRI’s Electricity Distribution Indicator Toolkit (EDIT), a platform that enables users to understand and engage on electricity service delivery issues. Information from EDIT is being used to develop diagnostic modules to further understand problem areas, and will grow to support consumer advocates to foster policy dialogue aimed at solving these issues.
Energy Access
EGI is working in India and Nepal to fill the data and analysis gap on the development benefits of different types of energy systems by looking at the societal impacts of clean energy access entrepreneurs in India and Nepal.
EGI is working globally with WRI’s signature initiative, Charge, to create electricity markets that will deliver 10 billion MW/h of affordable renewable energy and extend access to 1 billion people by 2020.
Policy Implementation
EGI partners in South Africa are using WRI’s Climate Policy Implementation Diagnostic Framework to look at the National Climate Change Response White Paper and investigate the status of its implementation. In addition, partners are tracking the implementation of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme.
EGI partners in India are analyzing the solar policies in various states and identifying implementation challenges using WRI’s Implementation Diagnostic Tool.